The International Simone de Beauvoir Society provides a forum for researchers interested in the works of Simone de Beauvoir. As a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, all resources are used to advance the mission to promote the legacy of Simone de Beauvoir. 

History

The Society was founded in December 1981 by Konrad Bieber, Yolanda Astarita Patterson, and Jacques Zéphir after a session devoted to Simone de Beauvoir at the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association (MLA). Jacques Zéphir was the first President of the Society and Yolanda Patterson was the first Secretary-Treasurer. After Zéphir's three year term as President (1981-1983), Patterson became the Society's President in 1984 and Liliane Lazar became the Secretary-Treasurer.

Patterson (who passed away in 2022) and Lazar held these positions for 32 years (1984-2016). At the 23rd Annual Simone de Beauvoir Society Conference in June 2016 held in Superior, Wisconsin, a new executive committee was elected with Tove Pettersen as President and Meryl Altman as Secretary-Treasurer. In May 2018, the Society officially established itself as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Since then, the Society's officers are working to expand the reach of the organization.
The Society hosts an annual international conference to discuss Beauvoir's philosophical, literary, and political works and is also home to the peer-reviewed journal, Simone de Beauvoir Studies. The first issue of the journal was published in 1983 and was published once a year until 2007. The journal has since resumed annual publication under the editorial leadership of Jennifer McWeeny, who was elected editor of the journal in June 2016. Since 2023, Claudia Bouliane is the new Editor-in-Chief. See the list of the members of the Editorial Team.
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​The Society has a long history of international membership. In 1983, it had 30 members. Today, the Society has hundreds of members from all over the world. The Society is committed to an inclusive and interdisciplinary environment for academic and independent scholars. The Society is allied with the Modern Language Association of America (MLA). 
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Join us! 

It's thanks to your support that we can continue our activities and offer them to more and more people around the world. Membership comes with many advantages. Click here to learn more on how to become a member and what it entails.

​It is possible to make other kind of contributions to the Society: 
- General Contribution
- Donate to the Patterson Prize Honorarium
- Donate to the Liliane Lazar Graduate Student Travel Fund

Upcoming Events

Past events

​November 2025  through May 2026 - Reading seminar on The Blood of Others - click HERE to register.

17-18 November 2025 - Online Symposium "Beauvoir and 'The Lesbian'" : Click HERE to register.